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Quicken Australia works with Microsoft for Vista launch

01 February, 2007 09:50

<p>A number of world's leading software development companies have been working with Microsoft to incorporate superior functionality into their applications using the Windows Vista framework.</p><p>Among them is Quicken Australia which has developed a Vista gadget for its range of wealth management software products - Quicken Personal – for the launch of Windows Vista in Australia.</p><p>Quicken Personal, which is used worldwide by over 15 million people to better manage their personal finances, has over 200,000 users in Australia and is the best-selling personal finance software product in this market.</p><p>The Quicken Alert gadget, which will be made available later this year to Quicken Personal users, sits on the Vista desktop and displays critical task-related, scheduled information previously entered into the Quicken Personal application.</p><p>Irrespective of whether the Quicken Personal application is currently in use, payments scheduled to be made in Quicken Personal will appear to the user as a reminder in the desktop gadget in the form of an alert.</p><p>Sitting discreetly on the side of the desktop, the alert has the potential to save users significant amounts of money by providing simple but important reminders for regularly occurring transactions, such as paying a credit card account or bill on the day such payments are due.</p><p>The Quicken Alert will remain open on the desktop even after the Quicken Personal application has been closed. It will display personal finance transactions that need to be attended to on the due date.</p><p>Each time Quicken Personal 2007 is opened, the Quicken Alert gadget will update with the latest scheduled reminders.</p><p>Quicken Australia has also announced that the March 2007 release of its QuickBooks 2007/2008 range of accounting software – QuickBooks EasyStart, QuickBooks Accounting, QuickBooks Plus, QuickBooks Pro, QuickBooks Premier and QuickBooks Enterprise – will have “Work With Vista” certification.</p><p>Customers who have become members of the Quicken Advantage program by purchasing a full version of QuickBooks since March 2006 and who are current members of the Advantage program will receive a free upgrade to the 2007/2008 range.</p><p>“Windows Vista is much more than an operating system, it’s a platform that allows us to build new applications that benefit our customers,” said Gavin Dixon, CEO, Quicken Australia.</p><p>“The release of Quicken applications that take advantage of Windows Vista features demonstrates our commitment to delivering state-of-the-art solutions to our customers in line with the leaders in the software industry.”</p><p>WHAT ARE GADGETS ?</p><p>Gadgets are small, specialised mini-applications with a wide variety of possible applications aimed at enhancing a software user’s experiences.</p><p>Gadgets can connect to web services to deliver weather information, news updates, traffic maps, Internet radio streams, and slide shows of online photo albums. Gadgets can also integrate with many of a software user’s applications to streamline how the user interacts with them.</p><p>For example, a gadget gives the user an at-a-glance view of all of the user’s online instant messaging contacts, the day view from a calendar, or an easy way to control the media player. Gadgets can also have any number of dedicated purposes. They can be calculators, games, sticky notes, and more.</p><p>Desktop gadgets typically provide the user with easy access to frequently used functions within software or provide the user with visual information. The gadgets can also be used to simultaneously display different information such as the system time Internet-powered features such as RSS feeds, and to control external applications such as Windows Media Player.</p><p>The Windows Sidebar is the engine for Desktop Gadgets. It is a panel integrated with the Windows Vista operating system and found in either the right side (default) or the left side of the Windows desktop.</p><p>NOTE TO EDITORS</p><p>Quicken Australia</p><p>Trading on the Australian Stock Exchange as Reckon Limited (RKN), Quicken Australia develops, markets and supports the Quicken range of financial management software under licence from Intuit Inc.</p><p>In Australia, the company has some 400,000 small business customers using its financial management software which includes QuickBooks EasyStart, QuickBooks Accounting, QuickBooks Plus, QuickBooks Pro, QuickBooks Premier and QuickBooks Enterprise. The company also has some 200,000 individuals using its Quicken Personal software to better manage their personal finances.</p><p>More information can be found at www.quicken.com.au</p><p>Intuit Inc</p><p>Intuit Inc. (NASDAQ: INTU) is a leading provider of business and financial management solutions for small businesses, consumers and accounting professionals. Its flagship products and services, including QuickBooks®, Quicken® and TurboTax®, simplify small business management and payroll processing, personal finance, and tax preparation and filing.</p><p>Founded in 1983, Intuit has annual revenue of more than $1 billion. The company has nearly 7,000 employees with major offices in 13 states across the United States and offices in Canada and the United Kingdom.</p><p>More information can be found at www.intuit.com</p><p>MEDIA QUERIES TO:</p><p>John Kingsley-Jones (02) 9577-5422PR &amp; OEM ManagerQuicken Australia</p><p>Email: John.Kingsley-Jones@quicken.com.au</p>

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